PennDOT Urges Drivers To Use Caution Today During Winter Weather

Harrisburg, PA – With a forecast for winter weather across Pennsylvania on Wednesday, PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards today advised drivers that with conditions expected to change from snow during the morning rush hour to sleet and then rain later in the day, drivers should lower their speeds and be aware of changing conditions.

“We are prepared to deal with this rapidly changing storm, but the key for drivers is to slow down,” Richards said. “PennDOT will be aggressive in lowering speed limits on interstates, but it is up to drivers to react properly to the fact pavement conditions will not be the same during a storm as when weather is clear.”

If motorists encounter snow or ice-covered roads, they should slow down, increase their following distance and avoid distractions. Last winter in Pennsylvania, preliminary data shows that there were 252 crashes resulting in 129 injuries on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways where aggressive-driving behaviors such as speeding or making careless lane changes were factors.

To help make decisions as to whether to travel during winter weather, motorists are encouraged to “Know Before You Go” by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 850 traffic cameras. Users can also see plow truck statuses and travel alerts along a specific route using the “Check My Route” tool.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.